Name: Andreanna Papatheodorou
Class Year: 2022
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Leonia, N.J.
Internship Organization: The Superior Court of New Jersey, Special Civil Division
Job Title: Judicial Intern
Endowed Internship Funding Award: Alison B. Macdonald '95 Internship Fund
Location: Middlesex County, N.J. (Remote)
What鈥檚 happening at your internship?
Currently, my internship institution is trying to find the most accessible and effective way to have virtual hearings. Our docket has been altered due to the pandemic, as evictions have not been taking place. We used to primarily have hearings on evictions and all landlord-tenant issues, small claims under $3,000, and bank levies and wages. Our docket changes biweekly, so the work has changed along with it.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I applied because I鈥檓 currently preparing my law school applications, and felt that this internship would provide insight on the daily role lawyers play in our judicial system. I also found the possibility to hear Judge Corman鈥檚 deliberations to be exciting. I really wanted to get into the mind of a lawyer.
Was there anything special about how you found this internship?
There was! I reached out to one of the Seven Sisters Hiring Facebook group, and my mentor (Judge Corman鈥檚 clerk) responded, and told me that she had wanted to start an internship program at The Superior Court of N.J. for quite a while, and it would be great if I could be their first intern and help form a program. I did not have a traditional internship there due to COVID-19, so we did not get to form as much of a solid program as we originally had wanted.
I messaged her on Facebook, and she told me about what I would do as an intern, and what the Special Civil Division handled in particular. She gave me her email and asked that I send her a resume and short cover letter. I remember sitting in the Campus Center when she requested them, and stressing over updating my resume and sending her a perfect cover letter. I didn鈥檛 even know to whose attention to address the cover. I also recall being stressed about how to refer to Judge Corman in my cover letter鈥擧onorable Corman, Judge Corman, or Your Honor? I read a few articles about the proper usage and was still a bit clueless, so I just picked what I thought sounded best and moved on. I had it done within the hour. Our original, pre-pandemic, plan for my internship was for me to physically be at the courthouse at least four times a week.
I had been messaging with Alexis back and forth before deciding to come in and interview. I went down to the courthouse to meet her and Judge Corman sometime in February or March before the pandemic started. I timed it so that I could meet her for my interview when I was home in N.J., so probably early in spring break. I met with her, and met other clerks and Judge Corman. Everyone was really nice. I still felt a bit intimidated. Everyone in the room with me had a J.D. and I was a sophomore in undergrad. I didn鈥檛 know what I was expected to know.
When Alexis told me that I would be meeting Judge Corman I felt incredibly nervous. Little did I know that he was a really sweet man who wore Mr. Rogers-style cardigans. He has always been willing to explain his thought processes to me, which I appreciated.
What has been your favorite part of this internship?
Both the rapport with my mentor and the cases themselves. Some cases have been difficult to sit through, while others have been kind of entertaining. All case information and hearings are available to the public, so I guess it鈥檚 okay that I talk about them. One of my favorite parts of this internship were the hearings held over Zoom. They鈥檙e a bit better than the hearings held over the phone because people are more inclined to mute themselves, and it is overall an easier format for most. There was one case in our docket where someone was suing a repair company because they did not maintain a household appliance they were contracted to. On a break from that call, one lawyer forgot to mute himself, and that proved to be pretty entertaining. My mentor, Alexis, was great along the way and made sure I had access to as much information and resources I needed, so she has also been a highlight of this program.
This summer, coinciding with pandemic, we witnessed the widespread advocacy for socioeconomic equity and rent payment freezes鈥攚hich placed my internship in a central role in these discussions. My next venture outside of the courtroom is to work towards Black equity and and housing security/equality for low-income BIPOC
Visit the Summer 2020 Internships page to read more student stories.